To help us mark today's anniversary of Father of Confederation Sir Charles Tupper becoming Prime Minister in 1896, I've turned to a fellow Kingstonian. Vincent Durant, a well-known historian, authored one of the few modern-era biographies of Dr. Tupper back in the 1980s. His War Horse of Cumberland County: The life and times of Sir Charles Tupper, is a must-read for those interested in Canada's sixth Prime Minister. It is also important to note that Vincent, like Tupper, hails from Amherst, Nova Scotia.Over to you Vincent.by Vincent DurantOn this day back in 1896 Sir Charles Tupper was sworn in as the sixth prime minister of Canada.The Conservative Party had been through several leaders since Sir John A. Macdonald's death in 1891: John Abbott returned to the Senate after making it clear that he “hated politics”; John Thompson dropped dead during a visit to Windsor Castle; and Mackenzie Bowell was forced from office by his own cabinet, whom he referred to as a “nest of traitors”.  Finally, the call went out to The Grand Old Man of the party.  As Tupper put it: “When a majority of the members of the Bowell cabinet had resigned and the party had been broken into little pieces, I was reluctantly induced to come to the rescue …”As a young doctor in rural Nova Scotia Charles Tupper leaned towards conservative politics.  On May 1st, 1855 he announced his candidacy in a provincial election, and after a hard-fought campaign defeated the Liberal stalwart, Joseph Howe.  He quickly rose in the party and in 1864 became premier of the province.  Under his leadership the province expanded its railway system and introduced free education.  He also led the province into Confederation, thereby forming a life-long relationship with Sir John A. Macdonald.Tupper and Macdonald fought a half dozen campaigns together, and despite their personality differences (Macdonald's fare-thee-well style in sharp contrast with Tupper's take-no-prisoners approach to political debating) they worked well as a team.  As one wag put it: Macdonald steered the ship of state while Tupper provided wind for the sails!Soon after he was sworn in as Prime Minister on May 1st, 1896, an election was called, and on June 26 the Liberals under Wilfrid Laurier swept into power.Tupper led his party in opposition for four years but lost his seat in the 1900 election (his first defeat in 13 provincial/federal campaigns).  And on May 1, 1913, following a grand tour across Canada, Tupper, whose wife Frances had passed away a couple of years earlier, moved to England where he lived with his daughter Emma.  Upon his death in 1915 at age 94, Tupper's remains were buried next to his wife in Halifax.Although his time at the top was a mere ten weeks, Tupper had a profound impact on Canada.  Perhaps Laurier said it best in 1911:

“Next to Macdonald the man who did most to bring Canada into Confederation was Sir Charles Tupper”.